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Anvil: Anvil Is Anvil

Heavy/Speed Metal

4.5/5.0

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SPV/Steamhammer
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 10.02.2016

Hardly an understatement for Anvil's sixteen studio album, Anvil Is Anvil is a definition. Anvile has been pretty doing the same thing, soundin the same way for better than 35 years. And there's lots to like about Anvil. While they're a seminal Eighties heavy metal band, having influenced many others, they've also been pretty much the underdogs all their career. Not getting a whole lot of recognition. Yet the persevere nonetheless. With this album comes a significant tour in Europe supporting Udo Dirkschneider.

Anvil

Okay, so this album is typical Anvil. It's their mixture of melodic heavy and speed metal, with Steve "Lips" Kudlow's raspy vocals and sharp guitar lines. Whether it's from the recent resurrection of the band or simply time and experience, the songwriting within Anvil Is Anvil is probably some of the best they've done. They give pirate metal a bit of a go with Daggers And Rum, but they won't likely unthrone Alestorm.

Anvil can twist tempos with ease. Zombie Apocalypse and Gun Control have more moderate pacing, yet also some crushing heaviness. As for the latter song, I think Lips supports gun control. For the traditional heavy metal characteristics of speed and groove you look to anti-religion Die For A Lie, with some of Rob Reiner's best drumming, Runaway Train, Run Like Hell, and It's Your Move. If you listen to that last song and think Motorhead, you wouldn't far off in your suspicions. Listen for the lyric line "Ace of Spades and the joker is wild" within. Also, Run Like Hell has one of Lips' most blistering solos. Throughout, however, I think this album has some of his best guitar work. All in all, Anvil Is Anvil is exactly that, simply Anvil being themselves, and continuing to mature and improve with time as musicians and a band. It's some of their best work. Recommended.

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Anvil Is Anvil is exactly that, simply Anvil being themselves, and continuing to mature and improve with time as musicians and a band. It's some of their best work. Recommended.

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Formed in 1999 by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson, Sweden's Eclipse is well into their third decade of making music. In the recent past, their recordings and reputation have ... [ Read More ]